Stretcher for trousers, belts, &amp;c.



No. 879,028. y PATENTED PEB. 1L 1908. J. M. BLACKBURN. STRETCHER POR TROUSERS, BELTS, 6m.

PLITNIID ..10. AP 0A I0 LE SEPT 14 9 'I 2 SHBBTS*SHEET Z' f/ f W may I AW/ pts' of ,.t,

i end view nl one oi the clumps s or sstrrnonn, MARYLAND.

{DU/LES iti. .BLA CKBP srrtn'rozunn .son TrioUsnRs; BELTS, atc.

ist.

.To ell 'whom 'it muy concern.'

Be it .known that E., MMM M. Pimero smut, ft citizen ot the United States, und resident ci. .iti "timore, Merylftntfl., have invented sortent new und useful improve mont@ in Strctchers for .irousers, Beits, utc., of which the ioliowing'is e, specification.

'flhe obiec't ci the present invention is to f reduce e A cheep, simple and effective etchcr for tint erticies, such. its trousers'end. belts.

The invention. comprises broadly e pair of rods of steelv or other suitable niets-l und e. one ci. which preferably rigidiy count' )d with the rods,'v-fhiie the other is siidsbly connected andA adapted to be heid in eny desired position by' gripping devices. y

When the invention is used :is :t trousers stretcher the adjustable cle-mp is arranged toruove ireeiy sway from the iixed clfuup und to be -cu'tomcticeliy prevented from moving toward the fixed citunp by the griping devices. On the other hsndvhen the invention is used es e belt stretcher 'to drew together the en s of a belt which is to be sewed While it is mounted on its )ulleys,tho inovnble clump is arranged to slide treeiy on the side rods in moving towafrd the fixed. clsurp 'while the gripping devices prevent it from moving backward or away from the fixed clamp.

Referring; 'to 4the accompanying s irswing,

Fi ne i is su ficwof s. trousers stretcher e undying the uivcntlou end adjusted to stretch c parir oi trousers; Fig. 2 is en cn iarge'd end. vi.. of the edjustsbieclmnp ,shown in Fig. 3 Fig'. 23 `is u section cir-the line 3 of iiig. i; Fig. .is e eide 'View ci' the grip device shown in Fig. 8, the cover plete ing; 'rernovcrh Fig. 5 s. pers" ective view iihrftrui-ing the construction or" t s clem for seco. ng the ,armement in the stretcher;' tig. 6 is o view showing thi'e .manner of folding the stretcher; Fig.- is at sectional view of one of the joints in the side rods; Fig, 8 shows n forni. of tneiuvention in which the side rods not jointed; 9 shows the invention elnbo d 't e neit stretcher; Figi 10 xs on hewn in Fig.

9 ii. :s 'fiers ective View showiuff the v ,y t n ll; n

no' in which the two parte of clump ilgtcdosk; l?. 1s e` sectionnl View of "t or t clumps.ilustre/ting on n rfi/ping; device shown on .zpeccaton of Letters Potent. Appiiestion :iisd September 14. 1907. erisl'No. 392.880.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

.Referring to Figs. l. to 8 ofthe drawing, A indicates the fixed clamp of e trousers stretcher, B the adjustable clamp and C the side rods connecting the clamps and upon which the clamp IB 1s adjustable. y The rods C are preferably constructed of spring steel having considerable fiexibility but stiff enough to produce the necessary strain. to

Astretch a. pftir of trousers without buckling.

Each side rod may besu single piece, as shown in Fig. 8, or two pieces hinged together, es shown. Figs. 1, 6 and 7. In these latter 'figures the two parts of the side rod ere connected by o.' link 1 which permits them to be doubled one upon the other, as shown in Fig. 6, and they are provided with s close fitting tube 2 which is adopted to slip over the hinge joint and hold the two lsections of rod 1n slinement, ss shown in Fig. 7. Any other suitable hinge joint may be substituted for that shown in. the drawing.

The adjustable clamp B comprises s cross ber 3 having perforations through which the rods C pass and havin et each end a, recess 4 to receive s, gripping evice adapted t0 hold the clempm any desired` position upon the rod. The gripping device which I refer to use on account of its simplicity, c espness and effectiveness is illustrated in Fi s. 3 and 4. Referring to these figures, 5 in icstes n disk surrounding the roc. At one side the disk is su ported by a shoulder 6 on the bar '3 of the c emp and on the other side a spring 7 is provided which presses the disk against the shoulder (i, tending to tilt the disk about the shoulder its a. fulcrum. On the side of the rod opposite the fulcrum 6 is a. .push piu 8 which extends through the wullot" the recess 4, the outer end )rojccting so as to be conveniently engaged by the hond und the inner end being adapted to engage the disk 5 und press the sume against the sprin .7. It will be understood that thc e. is s l1 e grip ing device at each end of th .Inainfclsmp B. BIhe clamp B comprises the bar -3 and a, shorter bar 9 betwecnwhich the trousers ere gri ped, the two bcingconnwted by suitable bo ts l() provided with thumb nuts 11. One ol" the mrs, for inst-ence the bur 3, is provided with o. recess l2, nt the middle to receive the scams ol the trousers which would. prevent thc proper clem nog of tho trousers if both bers worc straight.; The bnr is otherwise slightly :tn-hed from the ends of the ber 9 tc the recess 12', so that the bur 9 will be sprung slightly es the bolts 1()- 'ere tightened, es

shown in. Fig. 2., Adjacent to eeeh of the bolts 10 the ber 3 is provided with e disgonel shoulder 13 against which the diegonel end 14 of the ber 9 is adapted. to beer, is shown in Fig. 5. The ber 9 is provided et esel?. end with e notch l5 to receive vthe bolt l() end the ber 3 is provided With e ooinpleinentery noteh 16. A washer ill is preferably pre-- vided es e bearing` for the tlunnb-nut 11 end e spring` i0 is provided to lift the washer when the thumb-nut is released.

The Clamp A. is constructedV exactly like the eleinp B except that the gripping; devil-.es illustrated in Figs. 3 end 4 ere oniitt nl. The side rods C, pass through openings in the eleinp A end ere prevented from. sliding through seid elzunp by iixed nuts or collars 17 arranged on opposite sides oi' the ehnnp. The rods C Iney bevotherwise suitably oonneeted with the elenip A, it being onlymeeessary that they should be rigidly connected with seid elenip.

The operation of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, is es follows: "l trousers ere eleniped between the bers l and 9 of eeeh of the elznnps A :ind B, es illustrated in Fig. l, the seems being arranged in the recesses l2. ,lhe ehnnp A is then held stationery end the elznnp B pulled ewey from it until the proper tension is placed upon the trousers. The ehunp B will slide freely on the rods (l toward the ends of seid rods but is prevented from moving beek# werd by the gripping disks 5 which nre cented by the spring` 7 end shoulder (i, end tend et all tilnes lo grip the rods securely when .the ehnnp B is drawn toward the oleinp A. Owing;l to the ilexibility oll the rods C it is not essentiel that the elem ps A and B should be always parallel. ll' it is desired to put one edge of the pentnloons under greater tension then the other it een be done by pulling the corresponding end ol the eleinp B farther ewey from the ele-nip 1While the trousers ere stretf'hed, es illustreted in Fig. l, they may he pleeed on n. table or ironing,I hea-rd and ironed7 the stretcher being so arming-ed the-t it will f interfere with this opera tion. To releese strain upon the trousers it is simply nenessery to press in the push pins S until the gripping disks 5 :it right :ingles with the rods C. When in this position the Chimp il een be moved freely in either direction upon the rods C. The disks 5 are especially i'isel'ul es gripping devices es they eennot get out of' proper position whenoneepleeed on the rf r.

eing symmetrical. 'lf hey are elsoesperieliy cheep to manufacture.

llt) th For ordinary home use l prefer the single side rods shown in Fig. S es they ere simpler and cheaper end less liable to get out ef order than the jointed rods, but 'orstretehers which ere required to be transported in trunks or other recept-soles, it is desirable te f -l ll Ls le?l suer. es sie elnstieted z illusbelt 7b sh" Around other f ,.'fgeres,l A L' the sul@ rods. lEeei'r@le ip e bese piece 2U e0 .having handles 2l. :it its ends end e. relatively inovehie pieee whi th the part 2U to A etetolied.

The bese p the part il? end et there incline receive e. eorres on the 1 to move s, thus l n the object the lt will he obvious that ,grooves en the n rts', B,

should he inclined in 95 upon the jest i the jew lerther into its reces., the ter the pull e 'tighter it is gripped. the tongues od* in the be st etel opposite 'onesti ne pull in opposil.. obvious th emr: b1 v it will also he s torn-i, is used es e trousers sleeteher the ire"iis.tiens ef' the tongues may el *L ln Figs. i) end 32 slightly inefulied g dish 11G i right er ined r f o hy e. 'terms e nornmlly el." the belt and that the ends are to he drawn together and held 1n position for connecting them. This is accomplished by securing one end of the belt in the clamp A and the other end in l two pairs of handles may be operated si1nulpressed in to release'tliexn.

'stii' steel rods substantially the same as are f a pair oi' clanis/a'dapted to hold the article.

clamp B and then moving the clamps toward ,I each other by means of handles 2].. The

taneously by two persons or the handles on one side may be operated alternately with those on the other by a single person. When the clamp Bis inovcd toward theclarnp A the-'rods C slide freely through the gri ping devices hut said devices prevent any )ack- Ward movement until the push buttons are It will hc evident that when the invention used as a belt stretcher the rod C need not be of elastic material, but they arevp'rel'erably used in the trousers stretcher.

described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is,

1. .d stretcher for flat'articles comprising to he stretche and a pair of metal rods con necting the respective ends of said clamps, the rods being ri idly connected withone of said clamps and eing adjustably connected with the other clamp, and gripping devices upon the latter clamp for engaging said rods, the gripping devices each consisting in a :metal disk through which the rod passes, a spring torfcanting said disk u on the rod, and means for compressinor t e spring to releasefthe rod from the disk.

2. A stretcher for flat articles comprising a )air oi clampsv adapted to hold the article `to e stretched, and a pair of'nietal rods connecting the respective ends of said clamps, the rods being rigidly connected with one of said clamps and being adjustably connected with the other clamp, and gripping devices upon the latter clamp for engaging said rods, the grippinvr devices each consisting 1n a metal disk tI irough which the rod passes, a

spring for canting said disk upon the rod,

and a push pin mounted in the clamp and arranged to ear upon the disk to compress the spring and release the rod from the disk.

3. Astretcher for flat articles comprising a pair of clamps adapted to hold the article to be stretched, and a pair of flexible metal rods connecting the respective ends ofv said clamps, the rods being rifridly connected with one of said clamps and rheilig adjustably connected withthe other clamp, and gripping devices upon the latter clamp for engaging said rods.

4. A stretcher for lat articlescomprising a pair of clam )s adapted to hold the article to be stretched, and a pair of metal rods connectin i the respective ends of said'clarnps7 the ro s being rigidly connected with one of said-clamps, and being adjustably connected with the' other clamp, and gripping devices upon the :latter clamp for engaging said rods7 the said rods being jointed and adapted to lie folded and provided with sleeves for holding the sections of the rods in alinernent.

5. In a stretcher for flat articles, the combination with the clamps and the side rodsconnccting vthe ends of said clam s, of the gripping devices for preventing ackward movementof one ofthe clamps on the rods7 said gripping devices each comprising a perforated disk surroundi a rod, a shoulder on the' clamp forming a fiiiirumfor said disk, a spring for canting said disk about the ful crum, and a. push in for releasing the disk.

Irl-testimony w ereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. BLACKBURN. 

